Portable electric fan



E. A. EBERT 4 PORTABLE ELECTRIC FAN Aug. 3, 1943.

Filed Jan. 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MQM Aug. 3, 1943. E. A. EBERT PORTABLE ELECTRIC FAN Filed .Jan. 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR wdw Patented Aug. 3, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE ELECTRIC FAN Edward A. Ebert, Buffalo, N. Y. Application January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,801

. Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in portable electric fans.

Oneobject of the invention is to provide a fan which is so designed that it is available to effect the circulation of air either by creating and maintaining a concentrated rapidly moving current or a widely dispersed slowing moving current.

A further object is to provide a fan which is simple, compact and inexpensive in design and pleasing and attractive in appearance, this object contemplating a construction in which the electric motor is substantially concealed from view.

A still further object is a fan wherein provision ismade for effective cooling of the motor in all operative positions.

A still further object is a novel design and arrangement of the parts which support the fan in its various operative positions, whereby to provide for facility in manipulating the fan, in-' sure quiet operation of the motor and minimize vibration.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a fan embodying the .features of the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged diametrical section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the fan in a i upright position.

Figure 6 is a face view of the fan.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view wherein th fan is mounted upon a vertical wall.

Figure 8 is a similar view except that the fan is supported horizontally and is inverted with respect to the position shown in Figure 2.

The fan, as illustrated, includes an electric motor H] which is mounted upon the inner side of a shallow dished cover member ll. Sleeves l2 and screws [2a mount the motor to the cover member and support it in spaced relation with respect to the latter. The blades l3 of the fan are carried by the armature shaft M of the motor which is arranged between, and which is substantially concealed from view by, the blades and the cover member. A casing-less motor, therefore, may be, and preferably is, employed,

secured to the legs I! of wires it which provide an ornamental grill in front of the blades. The terminal portions of certain of the legs I I of the grill wires are formed with eyes Ila, have a curvature conforming to the inside of the curved rim of the cover member and are secured to the cover member by self-tapping screws llb which enter the said eyes.

The air which is acted upon by thefan passes through louvers l9 formed in the cover member I l, the louvers being formed in sector-like groups and the strips 20 of the cover member which are displaced in the formation of the louvers, preferably being angularly inclined in the direction of the motor, as best shown in Figure 2, in order to direct the air over the mo- -tor toward the axis of the fan. Additional air passes through radial openings 2| (Figure 1) formed in the central portion of the cover member directly opposite the motor. It will thus be apparent that as the motor has no casing other than that provided by the cover member and the fan blades and as substantially all of the air acted upon by the blades passes over, or in close proximity to, the motor the latter willbe effectively cooled despite its concealed location.

The fan has characteristics which render it particularly desirable as a desk or table fan and to this end is provided with three feet 22 which are adapted to support the grill of the guard in spaced relation with respect to the top of the desk or table, or other surface, as best shown in Figure 2. l The feet 22 which may be in the form of headed rubber plugs are formed with annular grooves 23 just under the heads to accommodate loops 24 which are formed in the wire ring l6 most remote from the backing disc. When the fan is employed in the manner illustrated the air which enters the louvers l9 and openings 2| is expelled radially through the sides of the guard in all directions over the supporting surface. The current of air thus produced is gentle and dispersed over a relatively large area so that,

- the switch [4a for the motor being mounted upon although the fan may be placed upon a desk, it will not interfere to any substantial degree with the use of the desk in the customary manner. The movement of the air in this instance is effected by the deflecting action of the supporting surface and by the centrifugal action of the blades and its range is substantial owing to the action of the strips 20 in deflecting the air enteringthe louvers toward the axis of rotation of the blades.

In order that the fan may be employed in the manner of a conventional fan, that is to say, sup,-

ported in a substantially upright position so that II. The said bracket is formed or provided with a body portion 26 and curved legs 21, each of the latter carrying a foot 28 similar to the feet 22. The terminal portions of the body 26 of the bracket fit against the back of the cover member II and are accommodated in sleeve-like extensions 28 which are formed in a cap-piece 30 which is suitably secured to the cover member ll over an'opening 3| formed therein,

The body 26 of the bracket is formed with an offset portion 32-which is accommodated within the opening 3| in the cover member, as best shown in Figure 2, when the bracket is not in use, the legs of the latter in such case being substantially parallel to the cover member and the shank portions of the feet 28 being pressed against the outer face of the cover member by a spring strip 33 (Figure 2) which is secured at one end to the inner face of the cover member and the free end of which extends across the opening 3| and engages the offset portion 32 of the body of the bracket.

To extend the bracket to the position shown in Figure it is only necessary to grasp the legs 27 and swing them outwardly, the spring strip 33 yielding to permit this. As the bracket approaches its extended position, the offset portion 32 of the body enters a depression 34 in the spring strip and further outward movement is prevented while its return movement is resisted to a degree suitable for the purpose in view. Referring to Figure 1, it will be noted that the *bracket 25 is so mounted upon the cover member that the feet 28 are located at opposite sides of and are substantially equally spaced with. respect to one of the feet 22. Hence when the bracket is extended in the manner described, the: feet 28 cooperate with the said foot to provide a threepoint support for the fan in its upright position.

When the bracket 25 occupies a retracted position the feet 28 are available in connection with a.

third foot 35. which'is permanently secured to the outer face of the cover member by a self-tapping screw 35a, to provide a three-point support when it is desired to operate the fan in the position shown-in Figure 8, i. e., a position in which the blades direct the air upwardly. This position has the advantage that a substantial circulation of air is effected while minimizing the possibility of causing too violent a draft or blast in the vicinity of the fan. When operated in this position the air flowing to the inlet side of the fan is gentle and efiective over a substantial area and although perceptible and effective is not severe enough to cause objectionable disturbance, for example, of the papers upon a desk,

The feet 28 and 35 also provide three points of contact between the fan and the supporting surface when the fan is suspended against a vertical wall, as illustrated in Figure '7, a hanger strap 36 being secured to the cover member by the screw 35a for this purpose. The free end of the said strap is preferably offset to compensate for a part of the height of the feet and is formed with a suitable eye so that the hanger may be engaged over a nail or the like.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the fan described'is simple and inexpensive in design, is pleasing and attractive in appearance and is not only usable in various positions but is so constructed that circulation of the air may be effected in, a manner most suitable for the purpose in view. In each of its operative positions the fan has three points of contact with the supporting surface. Rocking of the fan upon any of its feet and creeping over the supporting surface are prevented and quiet operation insured. In this connection it will be noted that the fan has six feet whichare available to support it in three different positions. Each position, however, involves the use of three feet, simplicity in design being promoted by the use of certain of the feet in two different positions of the fan.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fan of the character described including a shallow cover member formed with an air inlet opening, fan blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, an electric motor for driving said blades, said motor being mounted upon the inner side of said cover member between the latter and said blades, a guard for the blades secured to said cover member and feet carried by said guard for .supporting said fan so that the blades thereof face and are in relatively close proximity to the supporting surface whereby said cover member and supporting surface serve as cooperating defiectors to direct the air radially outwardly through said guard and along said surface in a stream of predetermined depth.

2. A fan of the character described including a shallow, dish-shaped cover member formed with an air inlet, fan blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, an electric motor for driving said blades mounted uponv the inner side of said cover member, a guard for said blades secured to said cover member, feet carried by said guard for supporting the fan so that the face and blades are in relatively close proximity to the supporting surface with the axis of rotation of the blades normal to said supporting surface, whereby said cover member and supporting surface servev as cooperating deflectors to direct the air radially through the guard and along said surface in a stream of predetermined depth and a bracket carried by said cover member for supporting the fan in an upright position so that the blades will expel the air axially through the guard.

3. A fan of the character described includin shallow, dish-shaped cover member formed with an air inlet, fan blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, a casing-less electric motor for driving said blades, said motor being mounted upon the inner side of said cover member between, and being substantially concealed by, the latter and said blades, a guard for said blades secured to said cover member. feet carried by said guard for supporting the fan so that the face and blades are in relatively close proximity to the supporting surface with the axis of rotation of the blades normal to said supporting surface, whereby said cover member and supporting surface serve as cooperating deflectors to direct the air radially through the guard and along said surface and stream of predetermined depth and a bracket for supporting the fan in an upright position so that the blades will expel the air axially through the guard.

4. A fan 6f the character described having at ,least two operativepositions and including a blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of said fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, an electric motor mounted upon said cover member for driving said blades, a guard for said blades secured to said cover member, feet carried by said guard for supporting said fan so that the blades thereof are directed toward the supporting surface and a bracket which is carried by said cover member and which cooperates with one of said feet for supporting the fan in a second of said operative positions.

5. A fan of the character described including a set of feet for supporting the fan so that the blades thereof are directed toward the supporting surface, a second set of feet for supporting the fan in a second position in which the blades are directed away from said supporting surface and a bracket which carries at least one of said second set of feet and which is adjustable so that its foot cooperates with at least one of said first mentioned set of feet to support the fan in an upright position in which the axisof the fan is substantially at right angles with respect to either of the two first named positions.

6. A fan of the character described including a cover member formed with an air inlet, fan blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of said fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, an electric motor mounted upon the inner side of said cover member for driving said blades, a guard for said blades secured to said cover member, a set of feet carried by said guard for supporting the fan so that the blades thereof are directed toward the supporting surface, a second set of feet for supporting the fan in a second position in which the blades are directed away from said supporting surface and a bracket which carries at least one of said second set of feet and which is adjustable so that its foot cooperates with at least one of said first mentioned set of feet to support the fan in an upright position in which the axis of the fan is substantially at right angles with respect to either of the two first named positions. v

'7. A fan of the character described including a cover member formed with an air inlet, fan blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades air radially through the guard and along said surface in a stream of predetermined depth and a bracket carried by said cover member and which is adapted to cooperate with one ofsaid feet to support the fan in an upright position so that the blades will expel the air axially through the guard.

8. A fan of the character described includinl a cover member formed with an air inlet. fan

blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, an electric motor for driving said blades mounted upon the inner side of said ,cover member, a guard for the blades secured to said cover member, a set of feet carried by said guard for supporting the fan so that the face and blades are in relatively close proximity to the supporting surface with the axis of rotation of the blades normal to said supporting surface, whereby said cover member and supporting surface serve as oooperating deflectors to direct the air radially through the guard and along said surface in a stream of predetermined depth, a set of feet on the back of said cover member for supporting the fan in an inverted position and a bracket which carries two of said last mentioned set of feet and which is adapted to cooperate with one of said first mentioned set of feet to support the fan in an upright position so that the blades will expel the air axially through the guard.

9. A fan of the character described including a cover member formed with an air inlet, fan blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades and being located substantially Wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, a casing-less electric motor for driving said blades, said motor being mounted upon the inner side of said member between, and being substantially concealed by the latter and said blades, a guard for said blades secured to said cover member, a

set of feet for supporting said fan so that the blades thereof are directed toward the supporting surface, a second set of feet for supporting said fan in a second position in which the blades are directed away from said supporting surface and a bracket which carries at least one of said second set of feet and which is adjustable so that its foot cooperates with at least one of said first mentioned set of feet to support said fan in an upright position in which the axis of the fan is substantially at right angles with respect to either of the .two first named positions, said bracket being collapsible against the outer side of said cover member.

10. A fan of the character described including a cover member formed with an air inlet, fan

blades, said cover member having a radius which is at least as large as the radius of the fan blades and being located substantially wholly beyond one side of the plane occupied by said blades, an electric motor mounted upon the inner side of said cover member for driving said blades, a guard for said blades secured to said cover member, said guard having a support engaging part, a bracket having a body portionwhich is pivotally connected to said member and a pair of legs, each of which carries a foot said bracket being movable to a collapsed position against the outer side of said cover member and having an extended position in which its feet cooperate with said part to support said fan in an upright position, an offset formed in said body portion and resilient means which engages said ofl'set portion to hold said bracket collapsed position and which is yieldable to permit the bracket to be moved to its extended position.

EDWARD a. mum. 

